Kuwait has spent $1.9 billion to support the Syrian people since the outbreak of Syria crisis, Kuwait’s Assistant Foreign Minister for International Organizations Abdulaziz Al-Jarallah said in a speech to the seventh Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region. “In addition, the State of Kuwait contributed USD 100 million to the UN humanitarian appeals following the devastating earthquakes in Syria and Turkiye in February,” he said noting that the funds were channeled to various aid agencies.
Jarallah appreciated the EU for hosting this annual conference in support for Syria and neighboring countries. The high-level ministerial segment of the conference on June 15 gathered representatives of 57 countries, including EU member states, and over 30 international organizations, including the United Nations. “The Syrian conflict is with us for more than 12 years. It is a long-lasting crisis with unspeakable suffering of millions of people.
This was made even worse first by the dramatic and damaging earthquake in February, and because the global situation is worsening – not only due to the Russian aggression against Ukraine, but also with the new conflicts erupting – the latest one is in Sudan,” Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for the European Union, said in a statement. “We are the biggest donor for the Syrian people, the EU needs and wants to make sure that their situation remains high on the international agenda.”
The international humanitarian response to the Syrian crisis followed Kuwait’s initiative for hosting the first Pledging Conference for Syria in January 2013, Jarallah recalled. The efforts of the international community culminated in the UN Security Council adopting unanimously Resolution 2254 in 2015, which endorsed a roadmap for a Syrian-led peace process, he went on. However, Jarallah expressed regret over UN reports of continued horrible suffering in Syria 13 years after the breakout of the crisis, citing a report in March that over 15.3 million people need urgent humanitarian assistance.
Source : Kuwait Times
